


A Jungle Lullaby

by Citrine_skies



Category: Guild Wars 2 (Video Game)
Genre: Gen, Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-10
Updated: 2019-03-10
Packaged: 2019-11-15 04:54:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 775
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18066968
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Citrine_skies/pseuds/Citrine_skies
Summary: Caithe muses on where her life has taken her. Takes place before the commander is in possession of Aurene’s egg.





	A Jungle Lullaby

In a voice no louder than leaves rustling in the wind, Caithe crooned softly to the egg cradled in her lap, fingers tracing the smooth shell as she gazed out from the cave entrance to the vast expanse of jungle ahead.

She sang almost as much to comfort herself as she did her charge. Even in the depths of the jungle surrounded by Mordrem and the foreign creatures of the Maguuma, with the familiar melody of the Pale Tree’s song in her ears Caithe could almost believe she was back home in the Grove. Oh, how she wished that was the case. Before Zhaitan’s death, before Destiny’s Edge and Kralkatorrik’s awakening, before she learned the terrible secret of her race and Faolain’s descent into Nightmare.

“No.” she thought, steeling herself. “What’s done is done. Tarir is close, my Wyld Hunt nearly complete. This burden is no longer mine to bear alone. I just wish they didn’t have to find out like this.” She sighed deeply and leaned her head back against the wall of the cave she had taken shelter in. The moonlight streaming through the canopy of the trees above was beginning to fade and the inky black of the night sky was starting its subtle transition to golden sunrise.

Caithe looked down once again at the egg and held it close to her chest. Her mind began to wander, the feeling of the egg’s warmth against her skin calming the firstborn. She trusted Glint, she had to. Surely, the crystal dragon had known the sylvari’s secret, had sensed the taint of the jungle dragon on Caithe. She would never know, but Glint had placed her trust in a group of strangers, the least she could do was honour her legacy and trust that whatever this little egg was going to grow up to be would save Tyria from it’s cycle of death and destruction.

“Dear Mother, I hope you can still hear us” she thought to the Dream, “Can the unborn see how Mordremoth corrupts and poisons us? Or has his influence spread like a weed and turned them against Tyria before they awaken?” Caithe received no answer, not that she was expecting one. Despite all the odds, she hoped that those strong enough to resist the call of the dragon would help those who had fallen and that her messages to the unborn would help them listen to the light of their Mother over Mordremoth’s blighted call. She did not worry for Trahearne and the other firstborn who remained in Caledon, they were the strongest of all her people. They would survive this test like they survived when the entire sylvari race numbered twelve individuals. It was Faolain who worried her most.

Headstrong, stubborn Faolain. Always questioning how and why the world is the way it is, always challenging the status quo. Caithe knew she should have given up on Faolain a long time ago, but her heart remained soft for her former love. To see the woman she had such feelings for grow into this twisted, nightmarish version of her former self hurt more than she could ever have imagined. Sometimes she wished it was Faolain that had been on the receiving end of her blades that day, not Wynn. Wynn couldn’t have been spared, her injuries were too severe and Caithe was no mender. But she could have saved Faolain, and herself, from this lifetime of hurt.

The chirping of birds brought Caithe back to her surroundings, egg still nestled closely to her chest. The sky had brightened but sunrise was still far away. Soon she would continue her journey, Tarir was less than a week’s hike away. “Don’t worry sweet child”, she whispered to the egg, “You’ll be safe soon, I promise.” As Caithe ran her fingers over the surface of the egg, she swore she could feel the energy radiating from the dragon inside, as if the child inside was trying to comfort her. She smiled to herself, tracing swirling patterns reminiscent of vines and tangled roots and feeling its energy mirror the movements of her fingers. She resumed humming her mother’s song, taking comfort from its lyrics as she waited and watched dawn break once again over the lush expanse of the Maguuma. Stowing the egg safely in her bag, she rose with a renewed sense of purpose.

 So many were depending on the success of her journey, although most knew nothing of her or her mission. The dawn of a new Tyria, free from dragon corruption was on the horizon, all that was left for Caithe to do was stay alive to see the darkness pass.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Honestly I just loved the idea of Caithe singing to Aurene in her egg so heres whatever this is.


End file.
